This invention relates to a novel, extruded horse feed which is particularly advantageous for high-performance horses. The extrusion of certain animal feeds is well known. For example, dry feeds for dogs, cats, fish and monkeys have been extruded under high pressures and temperatures to produce expanded feeds. These feeds generally contain a significant amount of animal byproducts and other constituents from the animals' ordinary nonextruded ration. On the other hand, feeds for livestock such as cattle, goats, sheep and horses have heretofore not been commercially acceptable.
Generally, extrusion of livestock feeds has been avoided for two reasons. First, there are severe problems which result if the same constituents for the livestock's ordinary ration are utilized in an extruded feed. For examples, molasses which is frequently used to enhance palatability of a non-extruded horse ration will cause undue slippage in the extrusion die, an undesirable puffing of the product and will decrease palatability of the extruded feed. Likewise, oat hulls and alfalfa, which are frequently found in non-extruded horse feeds will impart a rough, grainy or gritty surface texture to an extruded feed which lessens palatability. Second, the extrusion process is relatively expensive, yet there were heretofore no apparent advantages which would outweigh this consideration.
In regard to the latter problem, extrusion is generally advantageous because its inherent cooking aids in improving the digestibility of the feed. Many carnivorous animals, for which extruded feeds have been produced, lack the facility for internally synthesizing low grade protein and for breaking down crude farinaceous materials into useful forms of sugar and starch unless such materials are well-cooked. Ordinarily, carnivorous animals prey upon other animals whose digestive tracts, like that of horses, will break down vegetables, vegetable by-products and other farinaceous materials prior to consumption by the carnivorous animals. For example, the caecum and large intestine of horses is capable of synthesizing some good quality protein while canines and felines lack such capacity.
Nevertheless, it has been herein discovered that there is a considerable and novel advantage in manufacturing an extruded feed for one type of livestock animal -- horses. For example, horses as a general rule are sensitive, finicky, and spirited animals. These traits represent particularly acute problems with respect to high-performance horses. For example, race horses of all types, including harness and fine-harness horses, also show or exhibition horses of all kinds, as well as jumpers, and even rodeo and hard-working cutting horses on ranches undergo constant strain and/or stress. These stresses affect eating behavior and feed requirements. As a consequence, the owners of such horses have been trapped in quite a dilemma. That is, in spite of the horses' high caloric needs, their sensitivity all too often does not permit them to consume a nutritionally adequate amount of feed. Accordingly, the owner must accept either inconsistent performance or interruption in scheduled competition and/or work to allow horses to regain suitable condition.
Attempts to solve this problem range a gamut of from adding sweeteners and other exotic liquid and solid supplements to injecting various drugs to completely withdrawing the horses from competition, work and the public for extended periods of time, none of which are satisfactory.
Accordingly, a high-performance horse feed which would provide the requisite energy and nutritional needs of such animals in a form readily acceptable to the horses and in the bulk amount normally consumed spontaneously even after periods of excessive stress or strain would represent a considerable advancement in the art.